Stay online, learn online

Online learning environment is a set of teaching and learning platform for digital aspects of education. Growing number of online learning courses convey strengths and drawbacks. Different authors evaluate the value of the virtual learning.

Oncu and Cakir (2011) argue that online learning environments have a promising future for all stakeholders of educational process, including researches, practitioners, and learners. The investigation called “Research in online learning environments: Priorities and methodologies” focuses on four research goals and matches four existing methodologies to improve student outcomes in online learning environments defined as learner achievement, engagement, and retention. In order to accomplish these research goals, formative research, developmental research, experimental research, and activity theory methodologies were recommended by authors. The first two types of research methodologies are mainly appropriate to improve the quality of designed online courses; experimental studies are useful to compare the effects of different teaching methods that influence learner outcomes.

Robinson and Hullinger (2008) identified the reasons for an increase in the implementation of Internet-related technologies. Besides the authors used vital engagement dimensions that the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) defined to measure student engagement in online courses from 3 universities. According to the findings of the article the online curriculum should dynamically engage students through challenging academic rigor, consistent and timely student–faculty interaction, a collaborative learning environment, and activities that enrich the development of the student. The present findings serve to encourage the application of the concept of engagement to improve the quality of online instruction.

From the personal point of view the development of online learning opens the new chapter in education. We all hear about the necessity to meet not only the needs of our students’, but also about the value of alignment between education and real life, more specifically how to apply learned skills in the daily life. Some challenges that digital learning creates are engagement and motivation of the students. Due to flexibility in the format, learners could easily be distracted from the online courses. Another challenge is providing valuable feedback from instructors. Online education has a vast majority of advantages as well. The opportunity to be educated from the distance cuts living and travelling costs for both educator and learners, and expands a time management schedule. For me it means spend more time with my family and children.

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3 thoughts on “Stay online, learn online”

Yes, I agree that one of the most important factors impacting student’s success is the instructor. Yet, not all professionals in our country now are ready to integrate traditional learning with online and fear that their role will become marginalized as technology becomes more deeply integrated into today’s learning environments.

Moreover, in any form of distance learning, it is too easy to feel alone and disconnected from others on the same course. Providing collaborative activities, good peer support and communication links between learners can help keep them to be on track. It is the access students have to instructors and other students. For some, receiving instant feedback from a professor about a paper or lecture is more valuable than an online class where there is a chance the student may never even meet his or her professor.Therefore, I believe that technology will not replace the teacher, though online learning environments have a lot to offer nowadays.

Dear Zhanna, it was pleasure to read your post about online learning. I mentioned that you gave good examples of both drawback and positive sides of it. I also agree that this type of learning could distract students with its flexibility as we are also online students. when deadline time is further you think that you have a lot of time until you can submit it but as it is flexible you suffer from your laziness and work hard during the last day. Online learning does have a great future as most of people who study online usually work or they get their second degree to get further education. I appreciate staff of NU because as you wrote you stay online with them and learn online. I also had cases when I wrote very late for my professors very late and they answered immediately so it seems to me that they don’t sleep at night to be available to us.

These are great articles, and overall you have a nice writing style which organizes and presents your ideas clearly.

Unfortunately, you have some very poor paraphrasing and citing which constitutes plagiarism. As this is an informal writing task, I want to point it out and give you the opportunity to improve in your next writing assignments.

In your second paragraph, compare your sentence:

“According to the findings of the article the online curriculum should dynamically engage students through challenging academic rigor, consistent and timely student–faculty interaction, a collaborative learning environment, and activities that enrich the development of the student.”

And the original:

“The online curriculum should actively engage students through challenging academic rigor, consistent and timely student–faculty interaction, a collaborative learning environment, and activities that enrich the development of the student.”